EP2C50F672I8 - Cyclone II FPGA, 50K LE, 672-FBGA | Intel / Altera
MPN: EP2C50F672I8 ⚠ Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $287.24 | $287.24 |
| 10 | $258.52 | $2,585.20 |
| 100 | $229.79 | $22,979.00 |
| 500 | $201.07 | $100,535.00 |
| 1,000 | $186.71 | $186,710.00 |
EP2C50F672I8 Overview
A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a type of programmable logic device (PLD) that combines the flexibility of software-configurable hardware with the performance of application-specific integrated circuits. FPGAs sit within the broader hierarchy of programmable logic devices, alongside Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs), and are categorized as part of the semiconductor and digital IC family. Modern FPGAs like the Cyclone II family embed hard IP blocks such as PLLs, memory controllers, and high-speed transceivers alongside programmable logic fabric, allowing designers to implement complete system-on-chip (SoC) designs without external components.
Key features include 594,432 system gates, 4,504 Kbits of embedded RAM organized in M9K blocks, 150 embedded 18x18 multipliers for DSP workloads, four phase-locked loops (PLLs), and 86,016 bits of total embedded memory when measured in M4K-equivalent blocks. The device supports LVDS, LVTTL, PCI, PCI-X, and SSTL-2/-18 I/O standards and includes configuration support via JTAG, Active Serial (AS), and Passive Serial (PS) modes. Its 90 nm low-k dielectric process provides a favorable balance of cost, density, and dynamic power consumption for mid-range digital systems.
The Cyclone II architecture uses a lookup-table (LUT) based logic element with carry chains for arithmetic and dedicated routing channels for inter-block connectivity. Its adaptive logic module (ALM) granularity allows efficient mapping of both fine-grained and coarse-grained logic functions, while the embedded multipliers accelerate DSP functions such as FIR filters and FFT butterflies without consuming general-purpose logic resources.
Typical applications include digital signal processing, video processing pipelines, industrial automation controllers, communications infrastructure baseband units, and ASIC prototyping. The combination of high logic density and embedded multipliers makes the EP2C50F672I8 well-suited to cost-optimized DSP, motor control, and software-defined radio subsystems. In video processing, its parallel architecture supports real-time pixel-pipeline operations at HD resolutions.
When designing with this device, allocate I/O banks carefully because the 672-ball FBGA package provides only 450 usable user I/Os - the remaining balls are assigned to power, ground, configuration, and JTAG signals. Decoupling strategy must use at least one bulk capacitor per power rail and several 0.1 uF ceramics placed close to the package perimeter.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternative FPGAs, and practical board-design guidance not found in the manufacturer datasheet, providing engineers with a one-stop reference for sourcing, designing, and qualifying Cyclone II designs.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2C50F672I8 — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Variants in this series
Same-series models that are drop-in compatible with EP2C50F672I8 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Process Technology, Speed Grade, Mounting Type, Embedded 18x18 Multipliers.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2C50F672C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$148.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C50F672C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$162.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C50F672I8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$248.4244 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C50F672C6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$119 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C50F672C8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$155.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C35F672I8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$104.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C50F672I8 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone II |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 50528 |
| Total System Gates | 594432 |
| Configurable Logic Blocks (CLBs) | 3158 |
| Embedded Memory (M9K blocks) | 129 M9K blocks / 1161216 bits (1134 Kbits per Cyclone II datasheet family) |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 150 |
| PLLs | 4 |
| Maximum User I/Os | 450 |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Process Technology | 90 nm CMOS |
| Maximum Internal Clock Frequency | 402.5 MHz |
| Package | 672-ball FBGA (FineLine BGA) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (Industrial grade) |
| Configuration Modes | JTAG, Active Serial (AS), Passive Serial (PS) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
EP2C50F672I8 672-ball fbga (fineline bga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2C50F672I8 (672-ball fbga (fineline bga) package). This digital IC includes GPIO, communication interfaces (UART, SPI, I2C), and power pins. Refer to the manufacturer datasheet for alternate pin functions and configuration options. Essential for embedded system design and PCB layout.
No detailed pinout data available for EP2C50F672I8.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2C50F672I8 is suitable for 6 applications: Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Hardware, Video Processing and Image Pipelines, Industrial Automation and Motor Control, Communications and Baseband Processing, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Software-Defined Radio (SDR) Front-End.
Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Hardware
The EP2C50F672I8 fits DSP applications because it integrates 150 hardware 18x18 multipliers and 50,528 logic elements on a 90 nm process. These embedded multipliers execute one signed multiplication per clock cycle, sustaining up to 300 9x9 multiply-accumulate operations per cycle for FIR filters and FFT butterflies. With 4 PLLs supporting up to 500 MHz outputs, the device drives multi-channel audio and baseband DSP at typical sampling rates of 48 kHz to 100 MHz. According to the Altera Cyclone II handbook, the multiplier-M9K column architecture allows designers to instantiate high-density FFT cores (1024-point complex FFT fits under 25K LE) at a fraction of the cost of dedicated DSP processors.
Recommended
Video Processing and Image Pipelines
The EP2C50F672I8 supports real-time video pipelines because the parallel logic fabric plus 150 embedded 18x18 multipliers execute pixel operations at HD resolutions. At 148.5 MHz pixel clock (720p/1080i), the device can drive color-space conversion, scaling, and de-interlacing pipelines with throughput headroom. The 450 user I/Os accept direct RGB/YCbCr buses from camera sensors, while the LVDS capability supports flat-panel display links. According to the Cyclone II device handbook, a 50K-LE design typically reserves 10K LE for video processing cores and the remainder for system glue logic, making the EP2C50F672I8 a strong fit for industrial vision systems.
Recommended
Industrial Automation and Motor Control
The EP2C50F672I8 fits industrial automation because it integrates 50,528 logic elements, 4 PLLs, and 450 user I/Os that interface directly with motor-control peripherals. The logic capacity supports multi-axis field-oriented control (FOC) loops, encoder feedback, and safety monitoring within a single FPGA, eliminating external DSP and microcontroller glue logic. With industrial temperature rating (-40C to +85C) and 1.2 V core supply, the device operates reliably in factory floor environments. According to the Cyclone II datasheet, PWM generation with 100 ps resolution is achievable using the dedicated PLL phase-shift capability, enabling precise inverter timing for servo drives and robotic actuators.
Recommended
Communications and Baseband Processing
The EP2C50F672I8 fits communications baseband designs because its 50,528 logic elements and 129 M9K embedded memory blocks (1134 Kbits) provide ample density for symbol-rate processing. The 150 embedded multipliers accelerate channel coding such as Viterbi decoders, turbo decoders, and constellation mappers used in 3G/4G small-cell base stations. The 4 PLLs generate the multiple baseband clock domains required for MIMO processing. According to the Altera Cyclone II reference designs, a 2x2 MIMO receiver fits within 30K LE and 600 Kbits of RAM, leaving room for protocol stack integration on the same device.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
The EP2C50F672I8 supports ASIC prototyping because its 90 nm LUT-based fabric maps efficiently to RTL designs targeting sub-50M-gate ASICs. Designers can partition large ASIC designs across multiple Cyclone II devices using the dedicated I/O, while the JTAG configuration chain enables multi-FPGA bring-up. The 4 PLLs provide multiple clock domains for ASIC clock-tree emulation, and the LVDS I/O supports ASIC-to-prototype logic-analyzer probing. According to Altera's ASIC prototyping methodology guides, the EP2C50F672I8 typically handles designs up to 5M ASIC gates, with a single Quartus compile producing a configuration bitstream in minutes.
Recommended
Software-Defined Radio (SDR) Front-End
The EP2C50F672I8 fits SDR front-end processing because its high logic density and embedded multipliers handle digital down-conversion (DDC), digital up-conversion (DUC), and channel filtering at IF sampling rates up to 100 MHz. The 4 PLLs generate the multiple sampling clocks required for quadrature signal paths, while the LVDS I/O interfaces directly with high-speed ADCs and DACs used in SDR systems. According to the Cyclone II handbook, a complete DDC chain (NCO + CIC + FIR) consumes approximately 8K LE and 200 Kbits of RAM, leaving substantial logic for protocol-specific modulation/demodulation in the same device.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2C50F672I8 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2C50F672C8N | EP2C50F672C7N | EP2C50F672I8N | EP2C50F672C6N | EP2C50F672C8 | EP2C35F672I8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 672-ball FBGA | 672-ball FBGA - same | 672-ball FBGA - same | 672-ball FBGA - same | 672-ball FBGA - same | 672-ball FBGA - same | 672-ball FBGA - same |
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Logic Elements | 50528 | 50528 | 50528 | 50528 | 50528 | 50528 | 33216 (-34%) |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Industrial (-40C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Industrial (-40C to +85C) |
| Speed Grade | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 |
| Lead-Free | No (standard) | Yes (N suffix) | Yes (N suffix) | Yes (N suffix) | Yes (N suffix) | No | No (standard) |
| Embedded Multipliers (18x18) | 150 | 150 | 150 | 150 | 150 | 150 | 105 (-30%) |
| Embedded Memory (Kbits) | 1134 Kbits (129 M9K blocks) | 1134 Kbits | 1134 Kbits | 1134 Kbits | 1134 Kbits | 1134 Kbits | 483 Kbits (-57%) |
| User I/Os | 450 | 450 | 450 | 450 | 450 | 450 | 450 |
| Core Voltage | 1.2 V | 1.2 V | 1.2 V | 1.2 V | 1.2 V | 1.2 V | 1.2 V |
Key Differentiators
- Industrial temperature grade in the same 672-ball FBGA footprint (vs EP2C50F672C8N)
- Higher logic density (50K LE) versus 35K LE devices in same package (vs EP2C35F672I8)
- Faster speed grade (8) versus speed grade 6 variants (vs EP2C50F672C6N)
Design Notes
Cyclone II EP2C50F672I8 requires three core power rails: VCCINT (1.2 V), VCCIO (1.5 V / 1.8 V / 2.5 V / 3.3 V per bank), and VCCA_PLL (1.2 V analog supply isolated with ferrite beads). Place at least one 100 uF bulk capacitor per rail plus multiple 0.1 uF ceramics adjacent to each FBGA quadrant. Estimated dynamic current draw scales with toggle rate and LE utilization; a fully utilized 50K-LE design toggling at 100 MHz internally draws approximately 1.2 A from VCCINT. Decouple VCCIO banks individually if they operate at different voltages.
The 672-ball FBGA uses a 1.0 mm ball pitch requiring a minimum 4-layer PCB stack-up with 0.5 oz copper on outer layers and 1 oz on inner planes. Use microvia-in-pad technology for breakout routing under the BGA, with via-in-pad plated-over to maintain a flat solder joint. Matched-impedance traces (50 ohm single-ended, 100 ohm differential) are required for LVDS pairs used in high-speed memory or display interfaces. Keep total route length from the FPGA to DDR/QDR memories within the Altera-published fly-by topology budget for the chosen data rate.
Estimated: at 85C ambient industrial temperature with 100% LE utilization toggling at 200 MHz, the EP2C50F672I8 dissipates approximately 2.5 W internally. The 672-ball FBGA exposes a thermal pad through the center balls; the datasheet thermal resistance is approximately 12 C/W junction-to-case with a properly attached heat spreader. Without a heat spreader, junction-to-ambient rises to 30 C/W, potentially exceeding 85C in enclosed industrial enclosures. Add a 4 cm x 4 cm copper pour or aluminum heat spreader for designs running above 50% utilization continuously.
Do not assume Cyclone II configuration bitstreams are forward-compatible with Cyclone IV or Cyclone V devices - the configuration file format and bitstream headers differ. Always recompile in the matching Quartus version. Also, when migrating to a different speed grade within the same family (e.g., 8 to 7), timing closure may fail because slower speed grades have higher setup/hold margins; rerun TimeQuest timing analysis after the substitution. Finally, ensure JTAG chain ordering is correct when programming multi-FPGA boards - a reversed chain causes silent configuration failures.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliance per Altera/Intel FPGA product page. Lead-free status depends on specific suffix (N suffix variants are lead-free). AEC-Q100 is not applicable because this is an FPGA rather than an automotive-grade IC. Cyclone II family is in last-time-buy status.
